The present invention relates to a support mechanism for friction pads for disc brakes.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art friction pad support mechanism for a disc brake which is of the single cylinder floating caliper type, which comprises a support member 1 fixed to a vehicle body (not shown), a caliper body 2 and a pair of friction pads 3a and 3b. The friction pads 3a and 3b are arranged in opening portions 4 and 5 formed in an outer support portion 1a and an inner support portion 1b of the support member 1, respectively. The outer and inner support portions 1a and 1b are formed to embrace therebetween a disc rotor (not shown). The friction pad 3a has an engaging projection 6a at its end face on the rotational leading side of the disc rotor. When the disc rotor rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow (forward rotation), the engaging projection 6a is engaged with an associated recess 5 formed in the support member 1 so as to apply all the brake tangential forces to the recess 5 on the rotational leading side of the disc rotor. For the reverse rotation of the disc rotor, there are provided an engaging projection 6b and an associated recess 4.
Thus, when the disc rotor rotates in the forward direction, upon the application of the braking force, the friction pads 3a and 3b are depressed forwardly so that the friction pads 3a and 3b will be deformed in a corrugated condition along the tangential direction of the rotor. This would cause a local wear in a lining of each friction pad 3a, 3b and would also make undesired noises.